1882.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



9 



ature to that of the interior of the apartment. 

 Attention to this rule is a necessity to suc- 

 cessful cultivation. The leaves of the plants 

 should he frequently moistened, and kept 

 scrupulously clean from dust and insects, 

 whenever necessary, by frequent spongings. 

 For moistening leaves the little instrument 

 called an atomizer is very useful, as a fine 

 spray of water can be distributed by it over 

 every portion of the plant without wasting 

 it over the floor or carpet. 



Instead of a miscellaneous collection of 

 window-plants, a few climbing-plants, trained 

 on a lattice-frame of wood or wire, have a 

 charming effect. It is the better plan, where 

 this is desired, to provide a box of suitable 

 size in length, and about five or six inches 

 deep, taking your jtlants out of their pots 

 and placing them in it, first putting sufficient 

 drainage in the bottom to allow surplus water 

 to pass through auger-holes bored in the bot- 

 tom of the box for the purpose, and filling 

 up the spaces between the plants with x_>roper 

 soil, being careful to firm it well in every 



AMARYLLIS VITTATA. 



part by a blunt-pointed stick during the 

 operation of filling. 



Ivies are always a favorite for this purpose, 

 both green and variegated leaved varieties. 

 Ivy-leaved Geraniums are desirable for their 

 beautifully marked leaves as well as flowers. 

 Begonia nitida, and other rampant-growing 

 species or varieties, are also desirable. Tro- 

 peeolum lobbianum or some of its varieties 

 give an abundant bloom throughout the win- 

 ter. Euonymus radieans variegata would 

 make a capital plant for that purpose. Camp- 

 sidium filicifolium would probably answer 

 well, as it is free-growing, and its foliage is 

 truly elegant; Ampelopsis Veitchii would 

 probably retain its foliage, and if so, would 

 be an elegant plant for its foliage alone. 

 Vinca major variegata, Maurandia Barclay- 

 ana, and Ficus repens are all suitable. 



Now, these hints are given to enable those 

 who, never having had experience, are desir- 

 ous of trying to decorate their winter homes, 

 and while offered in the hope that they may 

 aid the beginner, still, study of the special 

 needs of each plant, tact, and care are neces- 

 sary to success. * * * 



EXPERIENCES WITH AMARYLLIS. 



This beautiful genus of plants is generally 

 considered beyond the successful manage- 

 ment of the ordinary amateur, but several 

 years' experience, and especially that of last 

 winter, lias convinced me of the contrary. 

 With no greenhouse or conservatory, and 

 only windows, with south and west exposure, 

 in my dwelling, I began my collection about 

 six years ago, gathering slowly, as some of 

 them were expensive luxuries ; and last win- 

 ter I have been reaping a rich reward for my 

 faith in them as house-plants, despite the 

 efforts of Jack Frost, which stripped those 

 growing of their leaves in December. These 

 same bulbs produced afterward one and two 

 flower-stalks. 



After the ' ' cold wave," which carried with it 

 a choice collection of plants, I was so anxious 

 to see the extent of injury to my favorites 

 that I gradually brought nearly all of them 

 into our warm living-room, and have been 

 delighted to find all so treated not only ready 

 to grow, but also to bloom — the flower-stalks 

 outstripping the leaves in growth. Have 

 had Amaryllis blooms since January. The 

 first ones, however, were on plants not ex- 

 posed to the frost. Of the frozen ones, the 

 leaves snapped off like glass. I mention 

 these facts to show the degree of cold some 

 varieties will bear, notwithstanding the gen- 

 eral opinion that they require near hot-house 

 treatment to bloom successfully. Some, how- 

 ever, are more tender than others. A. vittata 

 and Reg'ma, for instance, having received the 

 same treatment as others, have made a much 

 slower growth and shown no signs of bloom. 

 Jdhnsonii and some varieties of Aulica came 

 in stronger, and made a more rapid growth 

 than others. " Prince of Orange," a seedling 

 of vittata, came on finely, and had two stalks, 

 bearing four flowers each. After the frost I 

 cut off all leaves just above the neck of the 

 bulb, immersed pot and all in cold water, 

 allowing it to remain for some time, and then 

 turned the pots on the side, to drain well and 

 dry off, in a moderately warm place. After a 

 week or so, I found the bulbs solid, and 

 treated them as described — being too anxious 

 to see if they had received any serious injury 

 to wait longer, as I had given up all hope of 

 seeing them bloom, and only wished for life. 

 I was agreeably surprised to find not only 

 life, but in most instances flowers. 



As to culture after w blooming, I will say 

 here that much of the future usefulness of a 

 bulb depends on a strong, healthy growth 

 just after it has flowered. Many fine bulbs 

 deteriorate in the hands of amateurs from 

 no other cause. This fact is applicable to 

 other bulbs as well as Amaryllis ; therefore 

 healthy growing leaves should never be cut 

 off, but allowed to remain until they begin to 

 turn yellow and wither — conclusive evidence 

 that their mission is accomplished — and they 

 readily detach from the bulb. 



Rest is also essential. After the leaves 

 have attained their full growth, it is well to 

 gradually withhold water, and allow bulb and 

 foliage to ripen and remain in the dry state 

 until it is desired to bloom them. When 

 starting into growth, water must be given 

 sparingly for a time. 



Amaryllis formosissima, Jacobaean Lily, 

 with its velvety, scarlet flowers, is generally 

 planted in the open ground in early spring, 

 but may also be grown in pots, and treated 

 like Dutch Bulbs, when it makes a most beau- 

 tiful house-plant. Mrs. S. C. Harrell. 



FERNS AS HOUSE-PLANTS. 



Ferns for window-plants shoidd be such 

 good-growing common sorts as cannot fail to 

 give satisfaction ; the finer and more delicate 

 kinds, and those requiring special treatment, 

 should not be attempted unless we are pre- 

 pared to give them the care they demand. A 

 well-grown, thrifty Fern is always pretty, — a 

 scraggy, sickly thing is a miserable-looking 

 plant indeed. You can grow your Geraniums, 

 Fuchsias, Mahernias, Pinks, Mignonette, Pe- 

 tunias, and Oxalis in your sunny windows ; 

 Ferns do not like such quarters, but prefer 

 the very quarters those flowering plants don't 

 like — namely, sunless windows. Ferns like 

 lots of light and to be grown near the glass, 

 but they dislike direct sunshine. Ferns may 

 be grown separately in pots, or baskets, or 

 in the same pots as Calla Lilies and other 

 window-plants. 



Soil for Ferns. — Ordinary observation will 

 teach us that different Ferns require dif- 

 ferent soils: for instance, we go into the 

 woods and find the little Spleenworts growing 

 in the chinks of rocks, the Virginian Chain- 

 fern in wet swamps, the Hart's-tongue under 



AMARYLLIS FORMOSISSIMA. 



limestone cliffs, the Sensitive Fern in wet 

 meadows, and evergreen Acrostichums on 

 the hill-sides. Then, again, in California 

 and Colorado we find little farinose and 

 crispy-leaved Ferns growing in open rocky 

 and gravelly places, and so on. For ordinary 

 Ferns I should advise a compost of turfy loam 

 with the finest stuff sifted out of it, old-leaf 

 soil and peat (that is, if you have upland peat ; 

 but if you have not, do not use any) in equal 

 parts, and some sharp sand. Gross-growing 

 Ferns like a little manure. Some pounded 

 charcoal is a good addition to the soil. 



Watering Ferns. — Give Ferns lots of 

 water at all times. The soil should be of 

 such a porous nature that superfluous water 

 will run off as fast as received, but care 

 should be taken not to over-water the plants. 

 Ferns like to be dewed overhead ; gold and 

 silver and some Maiden Hair Ferns, when 

 they become old plants, had better not be 

 watered overhead, but young ones of them 

 are assisted by dewing. In mild, showery 

 weather in spring put out your plants to get 

 the shower ; it will do them good ; but take 

 them in again. Wm. Falconer. 



